Observation of Cosmic Acceleration and Determining the Fate of the Universe
- Department of Physics, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-7079 (United States)
Current observations of type-Ia supernovae provide evidence for cosmic acceleration out to a redshift of z[approx lt]1 , leading to the possibility that the universe is entering an inflationary epoch. However, inflation can take place only if vacuum energy (or other sufficiently slowly redshifting source of energy density) dominates the energy density of a region of physical radius 1/H . We argue that, for the best-fit values of [Omega][sub [Lambda]]=0.8 and [Omega][sub m]=0.2 inferred from the supernovae data, one must confirm cosmic acceleration out to at least z[approx equal]1.8 to infer that our portion of the universe is inflating. If [Omega][sub [Lambda]][lt]0.736 then no present-day measurement can confirm or falsify that inference. [copyright] [ital 1999] [ital The American Physical Society]
- OSTI ID:
- 6272641
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review Letters, Vol. 83:8; ISSN 0031-9007
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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